Can Five Minutes Change the EV Game? BYD Thinks So

BYD's 1,000 kW charger delivers 400 km in 5 mins, shaking up global EV plans.

20 Mar 2025

Electric vehicle charging just got a turbo boost.

In March, Chinese EV giant BYD rolled out a 1,000 kilowatt charger, an astonishing leap from today’s fastest public chargers, which typically hover between 150 and 250 kW. This new system can zap 400 kilometers of range to a compatible battery in just five minutes. That’s about the time it takes to fill a tank with gas, and it signals a radical new chapter for EV infrastructure.

BYD plans to deploy the ultra-fast charger at more than 4,000 locations across China. If it succeeds, the country could leapfrog the rest of the world in public EV charging convenience. “This changes the conversation entirely,” said Carol Huang of the Shanghai Energy Research Institute. “It’s not just faster, it redefines the entire user experience.”

The move turns up the pressure on global rivals. Tesla’s Superchargers and Volkswagen’s Electrify America stations suddenly look slow. Automakers and governments now face a stark choice: upgrade quickly or risk getting left behind.

But not everything is ready for this voltage rush. Most EVs on the road today aren’t built to handle such power. And many national grids, especially outside China, aren’t equipped to deliver this level of energy without serious investment. Still, the direction is clear: the future is fast.

Industry analysts agree BYD’s move sets a new bar. The EV transition has often been slowed by "range anxiety" and long charging stops. Now, those worries are getting zapped, too.

With speed, scale, and ambition aligning, BYD’s supercharger is more than a piece of hardware. It is a wake-up call for the entire electric vehicle ecosystem.